Current-motor.



lN0. 703,355. Y W. L. WALTER.

Patented lune 24,1902.

CURRENT Moron.

. (Applicaltion led Nov. 5, 1 901.) (N 0 M o d el 3 Sheets-Sheet s z3 Z7 f '1f :f4

I 'n I I wrm Patented l'une 24,4 |902.

W. L@ WALTER. CURRENT moToR.

(Applicaton led Nov. 5, 1901.)

3 Sheets-,Sheet 2.

(No Mader.)

WW1/www I Patented- June 24, |902.

w.` L. WALTER.4 CURRENT noma.'

(Application led Nov. 5? 1901.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 3,

(No Model.)

www.

r Smog/Wto? wifcfvwawo fue 0mm dus co.. momumo. www, u. c,

UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM L. VALTER',"OF PORT HURON, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- COLUMBIA.

DISTRICT OF SPECIFICATION arming tartof Lettere Patent 161703,35 anateaaune 2 4, 1902'.

.A Application filed November 5, 190,1.l .SeraINpTSl-,Zllr `(No model To al?, whom/.it worry concern:

Be it knownthatLWILL'IAM L. WALTER, a. citizen ofthe United States, residing at Port Huron, in the county of St.v Clair and Statie of Michifganyhave invented a new and useful Ourrent.l\lot`or, of which the following is a specification.`

The present invention relates to currentmotors,1and particularly to motors of that class set forth Vin my copending application, Serial No. 66,696, filed July 1,190.1.

One of the objectsof the present invention is to provide'a novel flume in which the motor is placed, said Hume being so constructed that the'water will be delivered to the motor with great efficiency and without causing any backwater. A furtherobject is to construct a flume which may be regulated to the amount of water iiowing in the stream or body of water in which the motor is placedsaid fiume auto-A rnaticallvyadapting itself to anysuddeu rise, as in the cas'eof floods .or freshets, thereby reducing the danger of Vinjury to the motor to a minimum. l

A still ,further 'Objectis to provide a system containing a seriesof motors arranged in tandemrelation and vsuccessively.employing thesamewater formotive power, together.

with means for cutting'out anyone or more motors without i interferingwith: the operations of the others. f

Another object is to improve the construction of motor by strengthening and simplifying'the same and reducing the frictional resistance thereof to a minimum.

In the accompanying drawings the. preferred embodiment ofthe motor is fully illustrated, and the construction .and operation thereof is described in the following specification. ,The right is reserved,.however, to make 'such changes from the construction shown and described asthe scope of the claims hereto appended will permit.

In the drawings, Figure l is a top plan View showing a portion of a system constructed in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View through the same. Fig. 3 is a verticaltransverse section, on an enlarged scale,taken through one of the iiumesectionsl.` Fig. 4 is also a vertical sectional vliewon ltheline x00 of Fig. l; and Fig. 5 is a `side elev'atinof a portion of one of the flumesections,'. more clearly illustrating one of the conduits employed;

vSimilar numerals of,reference designate corresponding parts in all the iigures of the drawings.4

In Fignl; portions of two Iiumes are shown side by side, each iiume being composed of separatesction's, (designated as a whole by the reference-numerals l0 and 10a, respec tively.) Asthese sections aresimilar in all respects,jbut one need be described. The seotions areen'tirely independent ofone another and are arranged in tandem relation, as shown in Figs."land'2. Each section comprises a kbody having spaced side walls ll, connected by a bottom 112, said side walls being constructed-'upon a suitable frame 13, covered :by a sheathing, as 14. The section is divided by a vertical longitudinal partition 15 into 4two channels 16 and l7,the said partition being nearerrone wall than theother, sothat the channel 4lfvwillbe wider `than `17. In the 'channel l6is mountedthe'rnotorpropern` -f lThis-niotorisconstructed quite similar to the motordescribed in the above-mentioned fcopending application, but@ is'muchi simpler .thantlie same. lEndless holdingcableslS are mounted upon large sprocket-wheels 19,which wheels are secured to transverse shafts 20, journaled inthe side walls of the iiume, the lower stretches of these cables being located contiguous to the bottom of the flume, while the upper stretches are disposed near the top. Between the upper and lower stretches of the holdingcables 18 is arranged a drive-cable 2l, that runs upon sprockets 22, secured to transverse shafts 23, -located in parallel relation to the shafts 2O and preferablyfin the sameplanetherewith. Paddlestarephinged to the drive-cable at suitable*distancesapart and carry bolts 26, that engage the'V lower stretches of the cables 1S tosliold, saidipaddles in upright position during their. movement toward the rear end of the fiume. These bolts 26 are slidably mounted upon the paddles and have forked lower ends, that ern-v brace the cables 1S and abut against buttons l ward sprocket-wheel 22.v

18a, secured thereto. They are connected to horizontally-disposed pivoted arms 26a, the

4free ends of which project beyond the paddles and preferably carryantifriction-rollers 26, that bear against the under sides of suitable'guide-strips 26C, having upturned front ends, which strips thus hold the 'forked ends of the bolts down upon the cables, as shown in Fig. 3. The bolts will be raised from their -engagement with the cables as the paddles are raised at therrear sprocket-wheel 22, and said paddles are thereupon swung by the force of the escaping water to a substantially horizontal position and maintain this position during their return movement to the for- Disks 27, mounted upon the forward shaft 23, carry projections 28, (illustrated in Fig. 4,) which projections engage the paddles as they reach the forward limit of their movement and turn them over to bring them again into operative position, whereupon 'the rollers 26b of the arms 26a wil-l be moved beneath the upturned front ends of the guide-strips 26C, so that as the paddles each swing intoposition at the upper end of the motor the bolts will be moved downwardly to again engage the cables, as will be readily ative position.

understood. y

The paddles are'provided with openings 29, and valves 30 are hinged at theirupper ends to the front lface of said paddles to normally close said openings. The purpose of these valved openings is to prevent back pressure as the paddles are thrown over to their oper- When the paddle first strikes the water during this operation, the pressure will be against the rear face of the same, and this pressure is immediately relieved by the opening of the valve, as shown in Fig.

2. vAs the paddle continues to swing down,

the water, striking the front face ot' the same, will immediately close the valve, and thereby seal the opening. Braces 30 extend diagonally across each paddle and are disposed in intersecting relation. In order that the drive-cable and holding-cable will always operate in unison7 the front shafts carrying the same are connected by sprocket-chains 3l, which pass over suitable wheels 32, secured, respectively, to said shafts and of the proper relative size to insure the necessary relative movement of the two cables. The forward shaft 23 ,is employed as the drivingshaft, and in the case of the iiumes being located side by side, as shown in Fig. 1, these shafts are connected bya clutch 33, sothat they may be Acoupled orv unooupled, as desired. The pulley 34, secured to a projecting portion of this shaft, affords means for attaching a belt 35, which belt is connected with any kind of machinery desired to be driven.

In order to obtain the maximum efficiency of the water, the paddles while inoperative.

positions pass through a contracted inclosed passage-way, this passage-way being formed by a partition 36, located in line with the .sage of .water ovei vsaid paddles.

'voaess shafts 23 and extending entirely across the flume. The side walls of the iiume in this passage-way are provided with inset portions 37, (shown in Fig. 3,) which fit snugly against the end edges of the.paddles, so as to avoid the loss of water at these points. The bottom beneath the partition 36 is upset, as shown lat 38, and the lower edges of the paddles it snugly upon the same. The upper ends of the paddles are likewise extended up above the hinges to fill in the space between the sprocket-wheels 22 and prevent the pas- As a result very little'water can pass by the paddles after they are thrown to operative position; but in order to overcome any such escape after the'` foremost paddle has reached its first operative position between the partition 36 and the upstanding bottom 38 water is introduced into the space between said foremost paddle and the one next adjacent through conduits 39, leading from. the front end of the flume and having discharge-openings 40 opening into thecontracted passage-way just in rear of the front end of the upset portion 38 of thebottom. Two of these conduits are located in the opposite lower corners of the flume, and one is arranged upon the exterior face of each channel-wall containing the motor, the latter tapering toward their dischargev ends. It will therefore be seen that all the water below a certain level passing through the channel 16 will necessarily operate against the paddles, and the force thereofwill be consumed indriving the motor. The other channel, 17, is open from end to end and will permit the free passage of water. Located at the upper ends of each channel are gates 41, which are entirely independent ofkeach other, so that either may be raised or lowered torcutvoff the passage'of water through the respective channels controlled thereby. When the gate of the channel'l7 is opened and that of the channel 16 is closed, the motor will be stopped and the water will iiow freely down past the same. On the other hand, when the gate of the channel 17 is in closed position and the gate of the channel 16 is raised, the water must necessarily pass through ythe motor and operate the same. Any well-known form of valve or gate may be employed for controlling the passage of water through the outside conduits 39.

The sections are held in a stream in the following Inanner: lSupports 42 are mounted in vertical position and are braced at their lower ends by suitable abutments 43. These supports have grooves 44 in their opposing faces, in which fit pintles 45, arranged upon the front ends of each section.` 43 extend to the bottom 12 of the sections, and thereby prevent the water from 'flowing beneath the same. The outer abutments are connected with the banks of the stream by dams 46, which also constitute overiiows for the surplus water. Each section is therefore pivotally supported at its lfront ends and is The abutments IOD preferably arranged in inclined position. For the purpose of raising and lowering the rear end to` adjust the motor to the flow of the stream said rear end is provided in its bottom with an inclosed chamber 47, having a water-inlet 48, normally closed by a valve 49, said valvebeing operated by means of a stem 5,0, that projects above the side, walls. An air-pump l has its discharge communicating with said chamber through a pipe 52, and

u said pipe has, preferably, located in its upper end a relief-cock 53. Assuming the chamber 47 iilled with air and it being desired to lower the rear end of the section, the valve 49 is raised and the air-cock 53 opened, whereby the water will be admitted to the chamber, and the air being expelled therefrom the end of the section will lose its buoyancy and sink. When the desired position has been obtained, the valve 49 is again closed. On the other hand, to raise the rear end of the section it is only necessary to open the valve and pump air into the chamber, thereby expelling the water and regaining the buoyancy.

To relieve the pinties 45 of the longitudinal strain, abutments 54, preferablyof stone, are built at the rear ends of each section, the front faces of said abutments being curved on a line concentric to the pivot axis of said section. Rollers 55, journaled in boxings 56,

i secured to said section, bear against the curved faces of the abutments, and thus, while permitting of the up-and-down movenient of the section, receive the longitudinal strain thereof and relieve the pivots of the same. As already stated, a plurality of these sections will be employed where the nature of the stream permits, in which caseeach succeeding section will be pivoted upon the rear abutments of the one preceding it, as shown in Figs. l and 2, and an apron 57, secured between the rear abntments, Will lead the water from the preceding section to the succeeding one. The sections, although in alinement, are spaced a suitable distance apart so that their corresponding channels will have communication with each other, as shown at 5S in Fig. l, so that the `water passing through either channel of the upper section may be either permitted to pass directly down through the corresponding channel of the lower section or be diverted into the other channel by manipulating the gates 4l.

In operation the sections are first arranged at the desired inclination, whereupon the head-gates 4l of the channels 16 are opened, while those of the channels 17 are closed. As a result the waterflowing through the channels 16 will operate the several motors arranged in tandem relation. If, however,

it is desired to stop any one motor either for repair or other cause, the head-gate above said motor is closed, while the head-gate of the by-pass channel I7 is opened. The water will therefore flow down said channel until it reaches the next section, and there can be diverted back to the channel 16, while the motor will be cutout entirely. Should a sudden rise in the water take place, the lower end of each section will rise to a corresponding degree, and thus automatically adjust itself to any dangerously-swift current that might injure the paddles or other portions of the motor.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction, operation, and many advantages of the herein-described invention will be apparent to these skilled in theart without further description, and it will be understood that various changes in the size, shape, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

, Having thus described myinveutiom what I claim as new, and desire lto secure by Letters l. In apparatus of the class described, a pivoted vertically-swinging fiume having, a longitudinal partition dividing the same into separate channels, independent gates located at the upper ends of said channels, and a water-motor located in one channel.

2. In apparatus of the class described,a flume comprising separate vertically-swinging sections pivoted at their upperends, each section having a longitudinal partition dividing the same into separate channels, the channels of one section communicating with the corresponding channels of the succeeding section, gates located across the channels at the head of each section, and a water-motor mounted in one of the channels of each section.

3. In apparatus ofthe class described, a

flume pivotally supported at one end, means for raising and lowering the otherend,and a motor located inthe flume.

4. In apparatus of the class described, a iiume pivotally supported at oneeud and hav- IOO IIO

ing a chamber at the other, means for admitting and expelling water from the chamber, and a motor located in the flume.

5. In apparatus of the class described, the

combination with aflume, of a support located at one end of the iiume, a pivotal connection betweenthe support and the adjacent end of the ilume, an inclosed chamber arranged at the bottom of the opposite end of the llame, and means for admitting and expelling water from the chamber.

6. In apparatus of the class V(ilescribeda fiumepivotally supported at one end, means for raisingand lowering the other end, an abutment located against the movable end` of the flume, and a motor located in the fiume.

7. In apparatus `of the class described, a flume pivotally supported at its upper end, means for raising and loweringthe lower end, an abutment located contiguous to the lower end of the ilume, rollers carried by the flume 8. In apparatus of theI class described, a

` ume having side walls and a partition exment in one direction but detached from said cable during the return movement.

10. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with aiiume, of a motor located j in the flume, said motor comprising an endless -holdingcable having lan upper and a lower stretch movable in opposite directions, one oi' said stretches being located within the lume, a series of paddles movable through the flume and detachably engaging the holding-cable during their movement in one direction but detached from said cable during their return movement.

l1. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with a flume', of a motor located in the flume, said motor comprising an endless holding-cable having an upper and a lower stretch movable in opposite directions, the lower stretch being located contiguous to the bottom of the ume, an endless drive-cable mounted between the stretches of the holding-cable, and paddles pivoted upon said drive cable and detachably engaging the lower stretch of the holdingcable during their movement in one direction, but detached from said cable during their return movement.

12; In apparatus of the class described, the combination with a flume, of a motor located in the flume, said motor comprising an endless holding-cable having an upper and a lower stretch movable in opposite directions, the lower stretch being located contiguous to the bottom of the Hume, an endless drive-cable mounted between the stretches of the holding-cable, connections between the two cables to maintain their operative relation to each other, and paddles pivoted upon the said drive-cable and detachably engaging the lower stretch ofthe cable during their movement in one direction but detached from said cable during their return'movement.

13. In apparatus of the class described, a current-motor comprising a drive -'cable, a holding-cable having a stretch located below the driving-cable, paddles pivotally mounted on the'drive-cable, said paddles detachably engaging the holding-cable and projecting below the same, and braces extending diagonally across each paddle from top to bottom, said braces being disposed in intersecting relation. y

14. In apparatus-of the class described, a current-motor comprising a drive-cable, a holding-cable having a stretch located below the drive-cable, paddles pivotally mounted on the drive-cable and having openings,said paddles detachably engaging the holding-cable and projecting below the same, valves hinged upon the front faces of the paddles `and nor-v mally closing the openings thereof, and braces extending diagonally across each paddle, said l braces being disposed inintersecting relation and extending across the portion of the paddles projecting beneath the holding-cable.

15. In apparatus of the class described, a current-motor includinga pair ot' cables, each of which has stretches movable in opposite directions, paddles connected to one cable and having detachable engagements with one stretch of the other cable during the movement of said paddles in one direction but detached from said cable during their return movement, and means connecting the two cables to cause them to move in unison and maintain the paddles in xed relation thereto while said paddles are connected to both cables.

16. In apparatus of the class described, a flume comprising separat-e sections arranged in tandem relation, a support located at the front of each section, a pivotal connection betweenthe front of each'section and the adjacent support, and a motor located in each section.

IOO

17. In apparatus ot' the class described, a

iiume comprising separate sections arranged in tandem relation, a support located at the rIo my own I have hereto affixed mysignature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM L.` WALTER.

Witnesses:

RALPH E. HoLLIsTER, HUGH W. FRED. 

